The present invention relates in general to digital interface equipment, and in particular to a new and useful on-line serial communication interface from a transmitter of a current loop to a computer or hand-held terminal.
Two-wire analog transmission systems are well known. Such systems include a transmitter which is connected to a power supply by two wires which from a current loop. The transmitter includes, as at least one of its features, a transducer which senses a condition such as pressure or temperature. This condition is known as a process variable (PV).
A power supply is connected to the two wires to close the current loop. It is also conventional to provide a resistor in the current loop. The transmitter amplifies the signal from its transducer and this amplified signal is used to draw a certain current from the power supply which is proportional or otherwise related to the process variable. It is conventional to draw from a minimum of 4 mA to a maximum of 20 mA. The current between 4 and 20 mA passes through the resistor to produce a voltage drop across the resistor. This voltage drop can be measured to give a value for the process variable.
It is noted that the 4 mA minimum current is required to energize the circuitry of the transmitter. Any excess current above this 4 mA level is taken as a value which can be used to determine the process variable.
It is known that such 4-20 mA two-wire systems have an accuracy which is limited to around 0.1% at best. These systems are also essentially unidirectional with the transmitter being essentially uncontrolled and transmitting continuously.
The transmitters in such circuits are generally limited in accuracy to about 0.1% and their functionality is limited to only continuous reading and sensing of the process variable.